Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett calling for local sales tax to fund public safety

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett is calling for a half-cent local sales tax to help fund the city's public safety and crime prevention efforts.

"We need to have a new revenue source," Barrett said Tuesday night at a public hearing on the 2018 city budget.

The mayor warned of steep cuts to police and fire departments if the state fails to give Milwaukee the authority to implement a local sales tax.

"Unless there is an additional revenue source that's not tied to the property tax, you are going to see dramatic cuts to services," Barrett said. "We can no longer rely on shared revenue and property taxes."

Barrett repeated his warnings that the city could be forced to cut 84 police officer positions in next year's budget. 

"The Pac-Man that's eating everything right now is public safety," Barrett said.

The mayor said he wants the proposal to go before voters as a referendum on the April 2018 ballot.